African Footballer of the Year
The African Footballer of the Year award, presented to the best African footballer each year, has been conferred by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) since 1992. An earlier African Footballer of the Year Golden Ball award was given out between 1970 and 1994 by France Football magazine. The changes resulted in parallel Golden Ball awards given out to Abedi Pele and George Weah in 1993[1] and 1994[2] by the magazine although the CAF sponsored awards for those years were won respectively by Rashidi Yekini and Emmanuel Amuneke, as well as two awards given to Abedi Pele in 1992.[3] France Football discontinued the election from 1995 after the European Ballon d'Or – also awarded by the magazine – had been opened to all players in the European leagues.[4]
Samuel Eto'o and Yaya Touré are the players who have won the award the most times (4 wins each), Two-time winner Didier Drogba is the player with the most runner-up appearances (4), most third place finishes (3), and most times in the top three (9). The France born Frédéric Kanouté, Riyad Mahrez and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are the only European-born players to win the award (both Kanouté and Aubameyang initially featured for France's U21 squad before going on to represent Mali and Gabon, respectively).[5][6]
Winners[]
France Football award (1970–1994)[]
The award by France Football magazine was awarded to the best African footballer between 1970 and 1994. The award was discontinued in 1995 after the European Footballer of the Year (Ballon d'Or) was opened to players of non-European nationality, the award being given to George Weah that year. It had already been replaced by an official award given out by the Confederation of African Football since 1992.
CAF award (1992–present)[]
Year | Rank | Player | Team | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|
1992 | 1st | Abedi Pele | Marseille | – |
1994 | 1st | Emmanuel Amunike | Sporting CP | 48 |
2nd | George Weah | Paris Saint-Germain | 44 | |
Rashidi Yekini | Olympiacos | |||
1995 | 1st | George Weah | Milan | – |
2nd | Emmanuel Amunike | Sporting CP | – | |
3rd | Daniel Amokachi | Everton | – | |
1996 | 1st | Nwankwo Kanu | Internazionale | – |
2nd | George Weah | Milan | – | |
3rd | Daniel Amokachi | Beşiktaş | – | |
1997 | 1st | Victor Ikpeba | Monaco | 56 |
2nd | Japhet N'Doram | Monaco | 40 | |
3rd | Taribo West | Internazionale | 35 | |
1998 | 1st | Mustapha Hadji | Deportivo La Coruña | 76 |
2nd | Jay-Jay Okocha | Paris Saint-Germain | 74 | |
3rd | Sunday Oliseh | Ajax | 58 | |
1999 | 1st | Nwankwo Kanu | Arsenal | 46 |
2nd | Samuel Kuffour | Bayern Munich | 44 | |
3rd | Ibrahima Bakayoko | Marseille | 42 | |
2000 | 1st | Patrick M'Boma | Parma | 123 |
2nd | Lauren | Mallorca | 36 | |
3rd | Samuel Eto'o | Mallorca | 29 | |
2001 | 1st | El Hadji Diouf | Lens | 93 |
2nd | Samuel Kuffour | Bayern Munich | 66 | |
3rd | Samuel Eto'o | Mallorca | 34 | |
2002 | 1st | El Hadji Diouf | Liverpool | 93 |
2nd | Papa Bouba Diop | Lens | 46 | |
3rd | Ahmed Hossam Mido | Ajax | 42 | |
2003 | 1st | Samuel Eto'o | Mallorca | – |
2nd | Didier Drogba | Marseille | – | |
3rd | Jay-Jay Okocha | Bolton Wanderers | – | |
2004 | 1st | Samuel Eto'o | Barcelona | 116 |
2nd | Didier Drogba | Chelsea | 90 | |
3rd | Jay-Jay Okocha | Bolton Wanderers | 68 | |
2005 | 1st | Samuel Eto'o | Barcelona | 108 |
2nd | Didier Drogba | Chelsea | 106 | |
3rd | Michael Essien | Chelsea | 50 | |
2006 | 1st | Didier Drogba | Chelsea | 79 |
2nd | Samuel Eto'o | Barcelona | 76 | |
3rd | Michael Essien | Chelsea | 36 | |
2007 | 1st | Frédéric Kanouté | Sevilla | – |
2nd | Michael Essien | Chelsea | – | |
3rd | Didier Drogba | Chelsea | – | |
2008 | 1st | Emmanuel Adebayor | Arsenal | 74 |
2nd | Mohamed Abou Trika | Al Ahly | 53 | |
3rd | Michael Essien | Chelsea | 36 | |
2009 | 1st | Didier Drogba | Chelsea | 92 |
2nd | Samuel Eto'o | Internazionale | 69 | |
3rd | Michael Essien | Chelsea | 43 | |
2010 | 1st | Samuel Eto'o | Internazionale | – |
2nd | Asamoah Gyan | Sunderland | – | |
3rd | Didier Drogba | Chelsea | – | |
2011 | 1st | Yaya Touré | Manchester City | – |
2nd | Seydou Keita | Barcelona | – | |
3rd | André Ayew | Marseille | – | |
2012 | 1st | Yaya Touré | Manchester City | – |
2nd | Didier Drogba | Shanghai Shenhua | – | |
3rd | Alex Song | Barcelona | – | |
2013 | 1st | Yaya Touré | Manchester City | 373 |
2nd | Mikel John Obi | Chelsea | 265 | |
3rd | Didier Drogba | Galatasaray | 236 | |
2014 | 1st | Yaya Touré | Manchester City | 175 |
2nd | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Borussia Dortmund | 120 | |
3rd | Vincent Enyeama | Lille | 105 | |
2015 | 1st | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Borussia Dortmund | 143 |
2nd | Yaya Touré | Manchester City | 136 | |
3rd | André Ayew | Swansea City | 112 | |
2016 | 1st | Riyad Mahrez | Leicester City | 361 |
2nd | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Borussia Dortmund | 313 | |
3rd | Sadio Mané | Liverpool | 186 | |
2017 | 1st | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | 625 |
2nd | Sadio Mané | Liverpool | 507 | |
3rd | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Borussia Dortmund | 311 | |
2018 | 1st | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | 567 |
2nd | Sadio Mané | Liverpool | 440 | |
3rd | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Arsenal | 197 | |
2019 | 1st | Sadio Mané | Liverpool | 477 |
2nd | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | 325 | |
3rd | Riyad Mahrez | Manchester City | 267 |
Multiple winners[]
* Players in bold are currently active
Player | Winner | Runner-up | Third place |
---|---|---|---|
Samuel Eto'o | 4 | 2 | 2 |
Yaya Touré | 4 | 1 | 0 |
George Weah | 3 | 4 | 0 |
Abedi Pele | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Didier Drogba | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Roger Milla | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Mohamed Salah | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Nwankwo Kanu | 2 | 0 | 0 |
El Hadji Diouf | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Awards won by nationality[]
Nation | Winners | Runners-up | Third places |
---|---|---|---|
Cameroon | 11 | 8 | 10 |
Ghana | 6 | 8 | 7 |
Ivory Coast | 6 | 7 | 6 |
Nigeria | 5 | 6 | 10 |
Morocco | 4 | 1 | 0 |
Algeria | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Egypt | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Liberia | 3 | 4 | 0 |
Senegal | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Mali | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Guinea | 1 | 3 | 2 |
DR Congo | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Gabon | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Togo | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Zambia | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Congo | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Tunisia | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Chad | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Awards won by club[]
Club | Winners | Runners-up | Third places |
---|---|---|---|
Liverpool | 4 | 3 | 1 |
Marseille | 4 | 1 | 2 |
Manchester City | 4 | 1 | 1 |
Chelsea | 2 | 4 | 6 |
Monaco | 2 | 3 | 1 |
Barcelona | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Asante Kotoko | 2 | 2 | – |
Canon Yaoundé | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Mallorca | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Internazionale | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Arsenal | 2 | – | 1 |
Paris Saint-Germain | 1 | 3 | – |
Hafia Conacry | 1 | 2 | 2 |
TP Mazembe | 1 | 2 | – |
Borussia Dortmund | 1 | 2 | – |
Sporting CP | 1 | 2 | – |
Porto | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Al Ahly | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Tonnerre Yaoundé | 1 | 1 | – |
Lens | 1 | 1 | – |
Milan | 1 | 1 | – |
Sporting CP | 1 | 1 | – |
GC Mascara | 1 | – | 1 |
Vitória de Setúbal | 1 | – | 1 |
Cercle Brugge | 1 | – | – |
CARA Brazzaville | 1 | – | – |
Leicester City | 1 | – | – |
Saint-Étienne | 1 | – | – |
Toulouse | 1 | – | – |
Parma | 1 | – | – |
FAR Rabat | 1 | – | – |
SCC Mohammédia | 1 | – | – |
JS Saint-Pierroise | 1 | – | – |
Deportivo La Coruña | 1 | – | – |
Espanyol | 1 | – | – |
Sevilla | 1 | – | – |
Espérance Sportive de Tunis | 1 | – | – |
Bayern Munich | – | 2 | – |
Zamalek SC | – | 1 | 2 |
MC Alger | – | 1 | 1 |
ASEC Mimosas | – | 1 | 1 |
Montpellier | – | 1 | 1 |
Eintracht Frankfurt | – | 1 | 1 |
Shooting Stars | – | 1 | 1 |
Shanghai Shenhua | – | 1 | – |
Vita Club | – | 1 | – |
Al Mokawloon Al Arab | – | 1 | – |
Sunderland | – | 1 | – |
Bordeaux | – | 1 | – |
FC Mulhouse | – | 1 | – |
Hearts of Oak | – | 1 | – |
FC Sion | – | 1 | – |
Aydınspor | – | 1 | – |
JS Kabylie | – | – | 2 |
Bolton Wanderers | – | – | 2 |
Everton | – | – | 2 |
Ajax | – | – | 2 |
Ismaily SC | – | – | 1 |
AS Cannes | – | – | 1 |
Stade Lavallois | – | – | 1 |
Lille | – | – | 1 |
Rennes | – | – | 1 |
Olympiacos | – | – | 1 |
Horoya AC | – | – | 1 |
PSV Eindhoven | – | – | 1 |
OC Agaza | – | – | 1 |
Beşiktaş | – | – | 1 |
Galatasaray | – | – | 1 |
Swansea City | – | – | 1 |
See also[]
- BBC African Footballer of the Year
- FIFA World Player of the Year
- CAF Awards
- List of Africa Cup of Nations hat-tricks
- List of Africa Women Cup of Nations hat-tricks
- List of African Nations Championship hat-tricks
- List of sport awards
- List of sports awards honoring women
References[]
- ^ "African Player of the Year 1993". Rsssf.com. 5 January 2001. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ^ "African Player of the Year 1994". Rsssf.com. 5 January 2001. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ^ "African Player of the Year". rsssf.com. 1 January 2000. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
- ^ "African Player of the Year". rsssf.com. 1 January 2000. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
- ^ Kanoute named Africa's best
- ^ Furious Drogba Slams CAF Over Kanoute Award And Pulls Out
- African Footballer of the Year winners
- Awards by magazines
- Confederation of African Football
- African football trophies and awards
- Association football player of the year awards